


My Heart Unfolding

by mudpuddledemon



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flirting, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, JARVIS is a good bro, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Snark, Steve is having a bad day too, Tony's POV, Triggers, no pitchforks and torches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 16:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4026070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mudpuddledemon/pseuds/mudpuddledemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Lewis. You're in my lab. Why are you in my lab when I'm not in my lab?"</p>
<p>He could see her in the corner, behind the shelves of spare parts. It was a weird place to be.</p>
<p>She was crying.</p>
<p>- - - - </p>
<p>Darcy falls apart, and Tony helps collect the pieces.</p>
<p>- - - -</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Heart Unfolding

**Author's Note:**

> I've been fussing with this for ages, and I think it's as good as its going to get. I'm proud of it, but also twitchy about putting it out there. It's solid hurt/comfort, so there's some not so nice stuff, but nothing graphic, nothing really current. The ghosts of old memories. I flip flopped hard on warnings, and my best judgement says they're probably overkill, but please let me know if you think they're needed, or have suggestions for more thorough tagging.

"Lewis. You're in my lab. Why are you in my lab when I'm not in my lab?"

He could see her in the corner, behind the shelves of spare parts. It was a weird place to be. She was frequently in his labs, but she was always swanning about with paperwork and sandwiches, poking at his projects and teasing bots, singing along to his music. She was like a multicolored tornado. Or maybe a water spout. She didn't wreck things so tornado seemed unfair. He was only 100% positive it was her because of the obnoxiously colored Chuck Taylor's and his very small lab clearance list. His security was obviously flawless. It was a forgone conclusion.

There were noises. That's what had drawn his attention to start. Noises from the Lewis shaped ball in the corner. If this was a game of hide and seek, the noises were a really bad call. Dead give away. He told her as much as he meandered through rows of industrial shelving towards her. The Lewis ball. Maybe this was a new thing the kids were doing these days. The next planking. Hard to say really, what weird thing was going to catch on.

"Lewis?" She was curled up with her face buried in her knees, arms wrapped up tight, sheets of hair all over the place. The Lewis ball. The noises sounded sad.

He crouched down but still couldn't get a clue. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she exploded, flinging herself back, away from him, throwing an arm out that would have hit him if he hadn't fallen back in surprise at her outburst. Her face looked wrecked, she was red and puffy with tears trailing down, her eyes wild and unfocused. This wasn't good. This was way less than optimal. He needed back up. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir."

"What's going on? Was there an accident? Bad news? Gimme a clue buddy."

"I'm not entirely certain sir. I'm not aware of any accident or injury in the tower within the last few hours. Nor any particularly distressing phone calls, or messages."

"Darcy?" She was staring into space with unfocused eyes, and didn't seem to hear him. 

Tony grabbed a handful of his hair in frustration. "Can you tell if she's hurt?"

"Miss Lewis's heart and breathing rate are currently elevated above normal parameters, but not to a degree that currently requires intervention. She will require fluids soon to avoid dehydration. But she ran here quite functionally, and I did not detect any physiological difficulties. Of course I'm not a doctor, sir, as you well know."

"Fine, fine, but you scan and you have piles of medical encyclopedias at your disposal, and you're probably more detailed than a regular doctor, and you know I like you better anyway- ran? She ran here? What? Why? From where?"

"From Captain Rogers' quarters 27 minutes ago, sir. And I couldn't begin to conjecture."

"She- what?" None of this made any fucking sense. She- he got up to pace, but sat back down again when he saw her cringe away. She's running away from Steve? The Boy Scout? To his lab? "What the hell is going on around here? Jarvis, call Steve."

There was a brief pause and then Cap's voice over the intercom. "Tony?"

Darcy's eyes started darting around the room and she began to shake. 

"Hey Cap, you mind telling me what had Lewis bolting out of your room just now? I know you're not great with the ladies but fleeing in terror seems a bit much."

There was an inarticulate growl that had Lewis cowering before the Captain replied. "Fleeing in terror?" he scoffed. "I don't know what your talking about. And it's none of your business anyway. I have to go. I have more important things to do right now than indulge your prurient curiosity. Stay. Out. Of my business."

Tony was going to reply, but Steve had already hung up. Well that was no help. Lewis had resumed her ball shape and was crying again. That was the noise. From when he first walked in. She was crying. In a ball. On the floor of his lab, and he felt like useless crap. He was loathe to touch her again with how she reacted last time. He was so bad at this. Pepper and Rhodey reacted well to humor, amusing threats to whatever was bothering them, offers of vacations, and select presents. That was his repertoire. And none of it applied here. She didn't even seem to be hearing him. "Jarvis, suggestions?"

"Possibly some soothing music, sir? Also, the articles I've scanned on the subject indicate talking quietly, and possibly a hug if it seems welcome, which it doesn't seem to be at the moment. Later a blanket and a glass of water would be advisable."

"Alright J. We'll try that. Put on something you think she'll like, and uh, alert me if you think she needs a doctor or you think of anything else."

"Certainly, sir." Quiet soft music started playing. It wouldn't have been his choice, but he thought he could detect a minute drop in her shoulders, so points to Jarvis for his selection. 

"Ugh. Huh. So... My lab, huh? Come here often?" He winced at his own awkwardness. Maybe she wouldn't remember much of this. He hoped. Sort of. Not remembering would be kind of concerning. "Anyway. I, uh, I know you do, you obviously do because you're always making me sign things. But also bringing those amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. Those are the best. They totally balance out the signing stuff. We could go make some later. I'm not sure I ate today. Stupid meeting day. What a terrible day." The noises seemed to be getting quieter and less frequent. At least he was maybe doing something right. Right. Talking. Ugh. "I have this design for an upgrade to the suit I've been working on, but I can't quite get it right..." Shop talk. He could do this. He just let his mouth go on autopilot. It was a skill. One he usually employed to get people to leave him alone, which almost always happened after they stopped trying to get a word in edgewise and their eyes started to glaze over. It was like magic. Or his super power. If it wasn't robotics and engineering, which it totally was. 

His back started to ache, so he slowly angled himself up against the wall next to Darcy. She didn't seem to mind, so he relaxed against it, almost, but not quite touching her. After a while even he got tired of talking so he just hummed along with the music. It was pretty chill music, and Jarvis seemed to have it on repeat. Probably a good call. He yawned, leaned his head back, and drifted off.

\- - - - - - - - - -

He came to confused. And his neck hurt. And he was hot. Sort of. And there was hair in his face. Lots of shiny dark hair. He was... In his lab? On the floor. In the corner. With a girl. "Jarvis?" He whispered it. Not like this hadn't happened before. And he wanted info before confrontation. 

"Yes, sir. You and Miss Lewis fell asleep in the lab while you attempted to calm her down. You have been asleep for 82 minutes. You appear to have succeeded. Her heart rate and breathing have returned to normal levels." Jarvis whispered too. He was a good bro.

Right. The Lewis ball. And angry Cap. And crying noises. What a shit afternoon. He slowly rolled his neck trying to work out the kink without waking Lewis but she started making some wake up noises anyway. She snuffled, and then turned those big red eyes on him from about an inch away, looking seriously startled and confused. Priority número uno, get them off the floor, if there was going to be a sequel to the waterworks they could at least be more comfortable for it. "Just a quick lab nap Lewis, you know all about those, barely an hour, won't even throw off your sleep groove tonight, but lets move this party over to the sofa, I've got a wicked crook in my neck." He was already shifting them up and across the room as she was still blinking and looking around. Sofa-check. Next he grabbed a bottle of water and the blanket off the back and handed both to her. Check and check. He could totally do this. She just looked at them in her hands and still seemed sleepy and confused. He took the top off the bottle and nodded expectantly, so she took a sip. Then downed the whole thing looking surprised at herself. 

"You okay, Lewis?"

"...yes?" That, was not terribly reassuring sounding. But at least it was a response.

"So..."

She winced. "I have the worst head ache."

"I bet. I hear being super sobby does that." Her eyes darted up to his and her mouth fell open.

"Sobby?" She felt her eyes, and wiped at them.

"So... You wanna tell me why you bolted from Capsicle's room to stow away in my work shop? Does he have some weird collection or something? Nazi scalps? Or just something deadly boring- did he try and show you his stamp collection? I'd cry too." He opened his mouth to go on but she had gotten all pale and shaky. "Darcy?"

"I just... I... It's not his fault. It just. He... "

"He what, Darcy?" Now he was getting a little angry, and starting to think less charitable thoughts than stamp collections. Oh Christ she was crying again. He reached his arm over and awkwardly patted her back. That seemed like a thing other people did. Would do. In this situation. He suddenly had an armful of Darcy as she buried herself against him.

"What's going on, Darcy? You need to talk to me."

"I don't know if I can. Right now. I just..." And the crying intensified. So he upped his patting. This fucking day was going to kill him.

"Ok. You can't talk about it, you're obviously busy crying anyway, but I can, so how about we play a little game of twenty questions. Because I could really use some answers." There was a little shrug, which he took as an affirmative.

"You were in Steve's room." Nod. "With Steve." Nod. "Just Steve?" Nod.

Alright. It was like Clue, but it was better than nothing. He took a deep breath.

"Did he hurt you?" A sort of hesitant shrug with a head shake. Not ideal. 

"Did you want to be in there?" A hesitant shrug. Everyone popped in and out of quarters and common rooms all the time. He couldn't picture Captain Apple Pie dragging anyone in cave man style, but he couldn't get a handle about anything in this situation so who the fuck knew. He thought of the shaking and the look in her eyes. "Did he scare you?" She went still and there was a tiny nod. He knew Cap could be scary to the bad guys, he was certainly a force in the field, but he couldn't imagine him turning that on anyone in the tower. Their friends. A girl. What the fuck was going on? "Darcy, you really, really need to talk to me. Is this something we should be talking to Cops about? Or SHEILD?" She shook her head back and forth.

"N-no. I'm sorry. It's me. I just freaked out. When Steve had me up against the door-" "Up against- ?! Jesus Christ Darcy!" His arms tightened around her, and now it was his breathing that was getting too fast. His head was spinning with really terrible things.

"No. I just. It really scared me. He was so intense, the way he was talking. And I couldn't get away, he's so big. And it brought up these really bad memories, and I couldn't breath, and I just really wanted to get away, and I couldn't. He had his hands around me, and I couldn't get away-" She was starting to hyperventilate.

"Shhh, shhh. You're okay now. You're down here, and everything's okay. You're totally safe. Jarvis, lock down the lab. See, nobody can come in. You're okay, just take a deep breath. And another. Okay. Hey. That sounded like a panic attack. That ever happened before? That happen at Steve's?" Nod.

"Okay. Let's just relax for a minute." She was going limp against him, slipping down, so he shuffled her back up onto his shoulder, and she continued scooting, right into his lap. He resettled her head against his chest. "Let's just breathe."

He was intimately familiar with panic attacks. Delightful they were not. He did better when he could copy someone else's breathing, Jarvis had a subroutine for it. "You take anything for them? Any medicine?" She shook her head. Yeah, he didn't either. 

After a few minutes she seemed to have calmed down again. "Can we try and talk about this some more, or do you think it's going to trigger you again? I really need to know what happened in there Darcy." She shrugged. Not like she could pinky swear not to have another attack. "Okay. I... " Christ. How the fuck could he talk about this without talking about this? He needed reinforcements. His first thought was Bruce, but this seemed like something that might bring out the green. And Thor tended to hammer first ask questions later. "Jarvis, are the wonder twins in the tower?"

"Agent Barton is currently in the range, he's just finished a practice session."

"You mind if we outsource some of these questions, Darcy?" No reply. He was just gonna go with it. Better to ask forgiveness and all that.

"Jarvis, Agent Barton please."

"Hey Tony, what's up?"

Darcy seemed to have either gone back to sleep, or just checked out, so he figured he'd just go ahead and do the best he could. "Hey Clint. I, ugh. Could you do me a favor? And try and put on your most sensitive, least obnoxious hat?"

"Yeah Tony, what's going on?" he sounded much more serious this time, like the competent team mate and not the goofy ex-circus house mate. Good.

"It's Darcy. She's not doing so great." 

"What's wrong? What happened?" 

"Well, that's the trouble. I'm not sure. And she's having a hard time explaining. I'm trying not to jump to conclusions, but this is what I've got- She ran out of Cap's room crying, and I found her hiding in the back of my lab. She had a panic attack trying to tell me what happened, and it sounds like maybe another one in Cap's place before she bolted. She says she's not hurt, but she also said some stuff that sounded really not good."

"That sounds... bad. Really bad. And also not at all like Cap."

"I know! I don't know what the fuck's going on, Barton. I called Cap to try and ask him, but he just told me to fuck off. I think if I keep pressing her she's going to have another attack. But if something happened..."

"Do you think she was raped?"

"Jesus Clint! I don't know, I don't think so? But none of this is making any god damn sense! I don't know what to think. And I don't want everyone in the damn tower involved until we have a clue, she's not going to want this spread all over. So can you just please do some spy-ssassion stuff, talk to Cap and get his side, and help me figure this out? Please?" He was at the end of his rope here.

"Yeah, Tony. I can do that. I'll get back to you if I get any more information. Hey- where's she now?"

In my lap seemed like a poor response given the situation. "On my lab couch, conked out again."

"Alright. Well, make sure she's alright until we get this straightened out."

"Yeah, of course." What kind of monster did Barton think he was? The line clicked off. Jesus. He ran a hand down his face and felt haggard. This day was fucking aging him. He tucked the blanket around her, and then gave up and dropped his head back, heading back to sleep. 

\- - - - - - - - - -

Her wiggling woke him this time, and as soon as he looked down it all came back. "Hey."

She blinked up at him. "Hey."

"Jarvis?" 

"42 minutes, sir."

She wiggled again, and he grimaced and manfully braced himself not to react to that. "Sorry. Is there a bathroom in here?"

"Yeah, back corner, over there." She scurried away, and he took a deep breath and tried to compose his thoughts. And rub out that damn crick in his neck. 

She came back out looking more composed, she'd washed her face. She settled on the other end of the couch and nervously tugged at a strand of her hair. "Sorry I cried on you."

"It's ok." He just really, really didn't want to say the wrong thing and set her off again. She looked wrung out, even with the naps.

"So... I uh. I had a really bad experience in high school. And a couple after that. And Steve just came on really strong today. He asked me to come talk with him, and I guess I didn't understand, and then as soon as we got in the door he turned around and backed me up against it, and started telling me how beautiful I was, and touching my face, and he wouldn't stop talking, and touching me, and I panicked." Her chin started to wobble. "I couldn't fucking breathe. I couldn't tell him to stop. I couldn't even think!" He was torn between relieved to finally understand, and horrified at what he was hearing. "So when he went in the other room to answer his phone, I took off. So... Nothing, uh, really happened. And I'm sorry I freaked out, and I'm sorry I cried on you-" And she was crying again. 

He opened his arms and she flew back in. "Hey, hey, hey, that wasn't fucking nothing, ok? That wasn't okay what he did. You had every right to react like that. To feel whatever you felt." He rubbed her back, and tried to think of all the crap shrink's had said to him about feelings over the years. Jesus. Somebody needed to have a talk with Cap about modern day definitions of consent, and better body language reading or something. How could he not tell she was panicking?! 

He felt creepy and awkward but he really needed this crystal clear- "You said he touched your face." Show me on the doll... He cringed. "Darcy? Did he touch you anywhere else?"

"Um... He was touching my arms, sort of, rubbing them, and I think my neck, and... my waist." She was shaking again. She didn't sound super sure, and he thought his eye might be starting to twitch. 

"Darcy, did anything else happen? I really need you to tell me. It's important."

"He uh..." He could feel his teeth grinding together, but tried really hard to keep the tension out of his arms. He was going to have to murder Steve if this got any worse. "He sort of pressed up against me. Up against the door. And I think he was going to kiss me, he was so close... but then his phone went off in the other room, and he said he was sorry, but he had to get it, and he'd be right back, and I was so scared of that. Of the be right back. And he's so fast, I had to wait until he closed the door so he wouldn't hear me leave. It was so hard to wait, and be quiet, and then run, and I was so scared, I thought he'd be right behind me. I thought he'd get me, and I wouldn't be able to get away again, and I was so scared-" Her voice was getting hysterical, and he thought she was going to shake apart in his arms. 

"Hey, hey, you're okay. You did, you got away. You're here now. We're all locked down and safe. You're okay. You're fine."

"I'm not, I'm really, really not. This whole thing is my fault! I couldn't even tell him to stop. My brain is just so stupid and screwed up, and- " She sort of screamed into his chest in frustration

"Hey, it's not your fault! None of this is on you! Not saying yes, not saying anything, not being excited about what's happening, is all a default no. He should know that, and I'll make sure he does. We're going to get this all straightened out, and its not ever going to happen again. Your brain's fine. It's unique. I'm very fond of it in fact. It keeps your cookie recipes, and makes up excellent dance steps, and it makes the bots happy, and I know Jarvis is super fond of it too." 

"Indeed, our discussions are frequently a high point in my day, Miss Lewis." She sniffled. And cracked a small smile. 

"Thanks, J. And thanks Tony." She looked at him very intently as she said it, and then laid her head down against his throat. And it felt very personal, and possibly important. And something in the vicinity of the reactor sort of thumped, and he should possibly look into that. Later. When he couldn't feel her breath against his collarbones, and her fingers knotted into his shirt. And she wasn't crying. Not crying was the best. 

\- - - - - - - - - -

After some quiet time on the couch to regroup, Darcy asked to use the shower, and Tony even dug her out a mostly clean shirt to change into after. 

"Can I... I mean... would you mind if I left the bathroom door open?" She was chewing at her thumbnail and digging a sneakered toe into the floor. 

He managed to squash the 7 inappropriate responses that immediately sprang to mind. "Yeah, whatever you feel like. I was going to check in with Clint..." He wasn't sure how much if any of that conversation she was present for, and wasn't thrilled to bring it up again.

"Yeah, of course." She paled, nodded, and headed for the bathroom. She looked like she was around for more than he might have thought.

"Jarvis, opaque all the workshop glass, and get Clint on the phone please."

He could see steam start to trickle out the bathroom door as Clint picked up.

"Hey Tony." He sounded grim.

"Hey. You have any luck finding Steve?"

"Yeah, we're having a beer at his place in Brooklyn. How's Darcy doing? She open up at all?"

"Yeah, she did. She's definitely better than before. Before alternating between hysterical and catatonic." He heard something in the background that sounded like Steve protesting. Fucking super serum hearing. 

Clint cut in. "Cap says barely anything happened, and that she was a little shy, but into it." It's a flat recitation, not an endorsement.

"Into it?! Fucking. Put me on speakerphone. And Jarvis, cue up our conversation." He used the holo screen to pull pieces of the conversation into a playlist with angry gestures, and then set it playing:

. . .

"What's going on, Darcy? You need to talk to me."  
"I don't know if I can. Right now. I just..." Sounds of crying.

"N-no. I'm sorry. It's me. I just freaked out. When Steve had me up against the door-"

"No. I just. It really scared me. He was so intense, the way he was talking. And I couldn't get away, he's so big. And it brought up these really bad memories, and I couldn't breath, and I just really wanted to get away, and I couldn't. He had his hands around me, and I couldn't get away-"

"He asked me to come talk with him, and I guess I didn't understand, and then as soon as we got in the door he turned around and backed me up against it, and started telling me how beautiful I was, and touching my face, and he wouldn't stop talking, and touching me, and I panicked. I couldn't fucking breathe. I couldn't tell him to stop. I couldn't even think!" 

"You said he touched your face. Darcy? Did he touch you anywhere else?"

"Um... He was touching my arms, sort of, rubbing them, and I think my neck, and... my waist."

"Darcy, did anything else happen? I really need you to tell me. It's important."

"He uh... He sort of pressed up against me. Up against the door. And I think he was going to kiss me, he was so close... but then his phone went off in the other room, and he said he was sorry, but he had to get it, and he'd be right back, and I was so scared of that. Of the be right back. And he's so fast, I had to wait until he closed the door so he wouldn't hear me leave. It was so hard to wait, and be quiet, and then run, and I was so scared, I thought he'd be right behind me. I thought he'd get me, and I wouldn't be able to get away again, and I was so scared-"

. . .

It was really fucking quiet after Darcy's panicked breaths cut off in the sound file. He thought he might have heard the sound of Clint's teeth grinding, or possibly the phone plastic shifting in his fist. "Did that sound like she was 'into it', Steve?! Did that seem at all okay to you? Because I really fucking hope not!"

\- - - - - - - - - -

Clint was counting his heartbeats, and trying really hard not to crush his phone without moving anything else. Because if he moved at all he was pretty sure it would be to fucking beat the shit out of Steve. He'd seen too many good people over the years with that darkness behind their eyes. The girl that worked the range counter, but never after dark. His best friend in basic. The little Romanian acrobat in his circus years. The boy in his first foster home that just didn't talk anymore. And of course Clint himself remembered feeling very small, and powerless, and afraid. Remembered it vividly hearing the terror in Darcy's voice. 

"Oh God." Steve sounded sick to his stomach. Good. "Please tell her I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. That's not- I didn't think- I mean, I had no idea! I thought she liked me ok, and everyone's been saying I need to put myself out there, it just... I thought... I was trying to be romantic? Or suave or something? Ughhh, I really am just the absolute worst with women. Thank heaven Bucky called when he did. I would never want to make anyone feel like that! You guys have to believe me!" He looked shaken up.

Tony's voice seethed over the phone. "I do. Or I would be over there myself ripping you into fucking pieces. She didn't say no, she didn't scream or push you away, I get that. She doesn't even seem to blame you. This is just a massive clusterfuck of misunderstandings and missed signals, but it's still fucking awful, and, urghhhh! Fucking look up consent, and enthusiastic consent, and date rape, and anything else Clint thinks of, and take a body language class or something, and- Jesus, she was having a fucking panic attack while you were trying to put the moves on her how do you not fucking notice that?!" By the end he was practically screaming out of the phone.

Steve looked appropriately chastened. Which might just save his life, or at least his face. Clint wasn't sure how strong the serum's healing capabilities were. "I don't know. I'm so sorry. Of course I'll do that stuff. Whatever you think."

"I better never, ever hear about anything like this ever happening again. And I think you need to stay away from Darcy for a really fucking long time. Except for possibly a pre approved apology, if she's even comfortable with that. We can talk about it later. I gotta go."

The phone clicked, and Clint slid it into his pocket.

"I'm going to go get another beer, and try and cool off, and then we're going to sit down for a long fucking talk, Cap." 

He just nodded miserably, his head in his hands.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Tony was curled over rubbing his face and trying to calm down when he felt arms slide around his waist from behind.

"Thank you for handling that, for doing that for me." She smelled like his soap. She slid around in front of him. "I'm really hungry. I bet you are too. Didn't you say something about grilled cheese sandwiches earlier?"

She looked really good in his Black Sabbath t-shirt. Too good. He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Yes. Sandwiches. Did you ah, wanna go up to my floor and avoid people, or hit up the communal kitchen?"

"Avoidance, totally." She was smiling again, well sort of smirking. His chest did that weird thump again as he followed her to the elevator.

\- - - - - - - - - -

They were in a grilled cheese coma on his couch, cartoons playing in the background, as they took turns sneaking looks at each other, and the air fogged up with tension. 

"So... you really stepped up back there Boss-man. I'm impressed. I know people skills aren't really your bag."

"Er... thanks?" She was snarking, he took this as a good sign, but didn't really feel comfortable snarking back. Not yet. His footing felt unsure. 

"Graciously welcome. Competence is a very attractive quality, you know. So... You interested in taking the crazy girl out for an ice cream cone tomorrow? As a getting to know you better quasi- date? Or a non date. I'm up for ice cream either way." She still sounded snarky but by the end she she was looking down at her lap and fidgeting. He paused for thought while his, possibly, heart thumped. If he even had one. Which it seemed like he did after all. In more than the literal sense. And his tongue swelled. Was he having an allergic reaction to feelings? That might actually explain a lot... "Or not. No biggie." 

He'd been quiet too long. "Yeah! Uh. Yes? Yes. Ice cream."

"Ice cream as sort of date, or just... Not?" Her voice wavered and she still wasn't looking at him.

"I... sort of date... sounds... nice. But maybe put a pin in it for later? Today was all... " Flaily hand gestures instead of words.

"So... no date for the crazy girl?" She sounded so sad. 

"Don't- That's not- It's just- Trauma!" More flailing. "Stockholm syndrome?"

She giggled. "Dude that's for A) kidnapping and B) the bad guys." She crawled over and plunked herself down on his chest, because apparently they'd crossed some kind of threshold with this today and it was now a thing they were doing. Which was unfair, because cuddles. "I've wanted to ask for a while. But I had all this stupid baggage. And I wasn't sure what to do with that. But then it all sort of fell apart today and you saw it anyway. So now that you know... Date? Sort of date. Quasi-non-date. Getting slightly closer thing-a-ma-jig?"

That thumping seemed to push the words out of his mouth against his better judgement. "Yes. Yeah. Date. Sort of date. I'm in. With bonus walk in the park?"

She looked delighted. "Absolutely!"

\- - - - - - - - - -

"It's getting pretty late, can I walk you back to your rooms?" He felt like a fucking teenager, in the 50s, and also an idiot, but he wasn't going to make her walk by herself through halls she was running through in terror this afternoon. 

"Oh. Um. Yeah. I guess I should be getting back." 

They got up and shuffled over towards the door, stretching and sort of waking themselves up. Darcy stepped over the threshold into the hall first and sort of stuttered and froze, then whirled to face him.

"I don't- really- Can I please just stay here with you tonight please?" She looked cry-y again. He nodded dumbly, then sort of internally face palmed. This was probably a super terrible plan.

"Yeah, I can just, sleep on the couch." God he missed his big comfortable bed. It felt like he'd slept everywhere but there today, and his back was noticing. 

"Okay." And she plopped down on the couch and looked at him expectantly. 

"Well, yeah, but. The bed's in there?" And he pointed to said doorway. 

"Okay." She got up. "Did you want to sleep in there?"

Was this a trick? "Yes?" He very much did. So of course she headed in. He wondered momentarily how closely women were related to cats. 

She popped her head back out. "Are you coming?"

He was confused. But walked over when she made an impatient noise. Only to watch her crawl into his delicious giant bed in nothing but his t-shirt and lime green panties. Her ass was phenomenal. He was half hard before the day's events snapped back to the fore front of his mind. He was going straight to Hell. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Right into the pit. He sort of wanted to punch himself in the face. He stumbled back to the living room, and considered it the tiniest drop in the penitence bucket to be sleeping on the couch.

"Tony?"

"Yeah, Darcy?" Maybe she wanted a glass of water or something. He should go get her a glass of water. Maybe tuck her in with a teddy bear or a chastity belt or something. 

"I thought we were sleeping in here? Aren't you coming to bed?"

Dear God in Heaven. We? We were sleeping in his bed? "I uh, I'm not sure that's a great idea Darcy."

"Oh. Well. Ok. I just... Um. I usually have nightmares after, uh, a bad day. And Jane lets me sleep with her because it helps keep them away. But. She's away tonight anyway. So. I guess, just ignore me. And, uh, sorry in advance, if I wake you up, with like screaming or anything." 

He felt like pond scum. Just. Whatever was the worst, lowest form of life. Sorry if I wake you up with my screaming? Because he was worried about keep his shit together enough to not molest the traumatized girl? 

"I'll be right in, Darcy." First he was putting on his thickest sweat pants and giving his junk a stern talking to. 

"Oh. Okay. You don't have to..."

"Nope, it's fine, no big deal. Glass of water? I'm getting us some water."

\- - - - - - - - - -

He woke up with a mouthful of hair, and Darcy plastered to his side. His platonic sleepover actually went better than he expected. Totally G rated. All exciting bits hidden under blankets. No molestation. No screaming night terrors. They started off at a respectable distance, but Darcy seemed to be a sleep cuddler. He viciously resisted conjecturing on how this went when she was in Jane's bed. At least until he was in the shower. He was only human.

\- - - - - - - - - -

They decided to be brave and venture down to the communal kitchen for breakfast. Clint was the only one there, lingering a little too casually over a cup of coffee and a newspaper he wasn't actually reading. Tony gave him the side eye and decided he probably wasn't really bothering to flex his actual spy-muscles.

"Hey Darce. You doin' ok?" It almost sounded nonchalant, but the eyes were way too intent. Hopefully he wasn't trying. 

Darcy bumped his shoulder on her way to the coffee pot. "Yeah dude, I'm okay. Tony let me use him as my teddy bear and he totally kept the boogey men away." 

Clint's eyes darted suspiciously from Darcy's grin to Tony's blush, and after a minute he nodded thoughtfully. He swung an arm around her shoulders and seemed surprised when she turned it into a hug. He glanced at Tony again, then down at Darcy and his face softened and he dropped a kiss on her head before turning her loose. 

Tony forcefully toned down anything in the jealousy range as Clint made his exit. "Keep it scrappy short stack." 

"Will do Hawkboy."

\- - - - - - - - - -

They were lingering over breakfast savoring the last of the coffee. Darcy had insinuated herself under his arm, and he was flicking through the news headlines one handed. 

\---

Shower time was back in his room, and her back in his clothes. 

\---

The park was raspberry ice cream, and balloons. 

\---

That night she was back in his bed. 

\---

And she just never left.

**Author's Note:**

> And they all lived happily ever after. Please don't hate Steve. I fussed the most w him here. He's looming large and scary to Darcy, and Tony and Clint are mad and that's the light you're getting him in. I love him, and it was hard making him the bad guy even when he's not really the bad guy. Ok, kinda the bad guy, but! misunderstandings.  
> \- - -  
> Title from Hem, which is what Jarvis puts on for them in my head. If I had the tiniest bit less respect for the writing process it would have just been called The Lewis Ball. Titles are hard.  
> \- - -  
> Inspired by bits of about a million other beloved fics, which I will try and wrangle here in an edit once I get this monster up.
> 
> Mainly - http://archiveofourown.org/works/848441 this doesn't have to be anything at all by Merideath which made me want a million fics with Darcy hiding out in Tony's lab.


End file.
